Whispers in the Garden
by Slayergirl
Summary: Set the night of the bonding in Rhodes, Sookie escapes to a roof garden sanctuary to help clear her mind rather than spend the night with Quinn. Help and comfort come from an unexpected quarter - or is it unexpected? E/S.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Written because I wanted Sookie and Eric to actually sit down and talk about the bond. And though I like Quinn, in many ways, I still want Sookie to be with Eric. Sorry, Tiger, you can't have her.**

* * *

I'd thought I wanted Quinn to stay, but after everything that had happened, I begged him to just leave me in my room on my own. I couldn't deal with another person right now – it was hard enough dealing with myself.

I tossed and turned after he'd gone, though, and eventually gave in to the inevitable. I flung on some clothes, pocketed my key, and headed to the elevators. I had a look at the wall plan, and spied a promising haven: roof garden. Up, up I went, and stepped gratefully out into the night air.

Surprisingly, for a hotel full of vampires, it was deserted. I wandered around aimlessly for a while, then sat miserably down on a bench. I could see city lights twinkling all around, but it did nothing to lift my mood. I sat and cried, and cried.

After a while, I felt calm descend, though I didn't raise my eyes from my knees for a good few minutes after that. It didn't entirely surprise me that, when I did, it was to see a big, blond Viking sitting on the ground in front of me. He was frowning.

"You were upset," he said, as if he was trying to explain to himself, as much as to me, why he was there.

I wiped my tears away with the backs of my hands. "All been too much," I replied tersely.

"I'm sorry. I tried," he said, and I knew he meant Andre.

"I know." I tried to pull myself together a bit more. "It wasn't your fault. And if it had to be anyone, I'd rather it was you than anyone else."

"Even Bill?" If there was any bitterness or jealousy there, he hid it well.

I thought about that, then shrugged. "He betrayed me. You can be a manipulative, ruthless, irritating bastard, but at least you've always been straight with me." I sighed. "I don't believe you'd ever deliberately hurt me, either," I added quietly.

"I wouldn't," he confirmed, wisely not commenting on my less-than-flattering character analysis. Or perhaps he agreed with it. "I would never have forced this on you."

"I know."

We sat in silence for a moment, until he asked, very gently, "May I sit beside you?"

"I can hardly stop you," I said resentfully.

"Sookie…" he hesitated. "This is not easy for me, either."

"No?"

"For fuck's sake, woman, I risked myself to stay with you while you were holding a bomb, and I even tried to take it from you," he snapped. He rubbed his hands over his eyes, and it seemed so human a gesture – of confusion, weariness, despair. "I couldn't leave you," he whispered.

Because it was just the two of us, and he was being open with me, I admitted, very softly, "I'm scared."

"Of the bond?"

"Of what it means. To both of us. Of what I did today. Of what's going to happen." Panic rose into my throat, but was immediately followed by a wave of calm. "That's you. Doing that. Isn't it?"

"Yes," he said. "I'm trying to… make you less afraid. Less upset." He sounded bewildered. "I don't know how else to help you."

I was going to hate myself in the morning for this. "Hold me?"

"It will help?" he asked uncertainly, as he got up from his seat on the ground.

"I kinda noticed that being around you is making me feel calmer. Guess that's the bond?" He nodded. "So it follows that, the closer we are, the calmer I'll be."

He sat beside me, very carefully, as if afraid I'd bolt as I had done earlier in Sophie-Anne's suite, then wrapped an arm around me. I took a few deep breaths, and if I was honest, I welcomed the feeling of peace and calm that radiated from him. I leant into him. "This is better?"

I just nodded. "Have you ever done this before?" I asked. "The blood bond, I mean?"

"No. The only bonds I have had are with my maker, my children, and you."

A sudden worry coursed through me. "You wouldn't… turn me?"

"Not against your will, no," he answered, and I relaxed fractionally. "Regardless of what anyone tells you, I would never force that on you if you were unwilling. Or anything else, for that matter."

"I know you didn't want this," I said.

He was silent for a long time. "It is fairer to say I would not have chosen it – certainly not for it to have happened this way."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"If you had wanted it – chosen it," he said, "I would have bound myself to you."

I tilted my head back so that I could look at him properly. "Why?" I asked, mystified.

"Why do we do anything that's asked of us?" he replied rhetorically. He stared out into the night. "Do you love the tiger?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "I'd hoped to find out. I like him a lot, certainly."

There was a long pause. "Did you love me?"

I could have lied, but I figured he'd have known. "Yes. But I knew that you weren't… yourself," I said with some effort.

He gathered me closer, and, God help me, I snuggled into him. "Could you love me again?"

I thought about that. "I don't know. Maybe. Don't get your hopes up," I warned him.

He rested his chin on the top of my head. "I'll try not to," he said. "Though at this moment, it's very hard not to." His fingers played lightly through my hair. "I do care about you, Sookie."

"You want to have sex with me," I corrected him.

He was silent for a while. "That's true. I do. But that's… not the same thing." He added, and his voice was muffled, because suddenly he was speaking through my hair, "I find I like just holding you. Being with you. Comforting you."

And all of a sudden, it hit me what Eric was trying to tell me – had maybe been trying to tell me all along – but couldn't find the words to say.

Eric Northman was in love with me.

Oh. Well. Wow. I wasn't sure what to do with that piece of information, given that I had no clue how I really felt about him myself. Or did I? I'd admitted to myself earlier how often I thought about him. I'd always been attracted to him. For the most part, I'd liked him as a person, too.

Before I could formulate a response to that, though, he took off his jacket, wrapped it round me, and shifted us so that he was sprawled along the bench, with me tucked into his chest. "I have always loved the stars," he said dreamily, looking up. "Before I was turned, I learned to navigate by them."

"I've never known how," I said, wondering a little at the abrupt change in topic. "I've often wished I could pick out constellations."

He shifted us again, so that I was lying with my back to his chest, looking up at the sky, with his jacket draped over me. I snuggled gratefully into it. He pointed up to the sky. "There is the Big Dipper, or Plough." He traced the shape of it in the air. "Part of the Great Bear. If you trace the handle of the Plough, there is Polaris, the North Star," he said, his finger moving along the handle of the Plough to point at the star in question. "It's part of the Little Bear." His finger pointed to another part of the sky. "There is another easy constellation to find, Orion. You see those three stars, close together, in a line?" I nodded. "That is the Belt of Orion. Orion rises in the east and sets in the west, and Mintaka, the first star of Orion's Belt to rise and set, will always do so within one degree of true east or west, wherever you are in the world."

He pointed out other constellations and stars, and told me a few stories about the myths and legends behind them, until I was relaxed and comfortable. I gave a soft sigh, and turned to rest my head on his chest, stretching a hesitant arm around him, under his jacket, in a half-hug. "Feeling better?" he asked softly.

"I think so. But it's hard to know what's me and what's you," I said.

"I'm not pushing anything through the bond," he replied. "Things do sometimes... bleed across, but I'm trying to repress it as much as possible."

I absorbed that, grateful that he'd thought to try; whatever I was feeling now was all my own, and what I felt was peace and comfort, and a gentle pleasure at being with him and in his arms. "Would I have felt like this with Andre?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Unlikely. The bond will magnify something that's already there, and convey what's being pushed towards you. Your feelings about Andre are nervous at best, terrified at worst. Your feelings for me are altogether more… comfortable. And my own use of the bond has been to comfort, not control; I doubt Andre would have given you that consideration."

"Will you ever? Try to control me?" I asked anxiously. It was what made me the most fearful.

"No, lover," he murmured, tightening his arm around me ever so slightly, and it comforted me more than it should have done, to hear him call me that. "I'll never use it to control you."

"You told Andre I 'heeled nicely'," I said, with the barest hint of accusation.

"I lied." He gave a wry chuckle. "You don't heel at all. Never have, never will. But telling him that would probably have signed your death warrant." He pressed a kiss into my hair. "I doubt I _could_ control you with the bond, even if I wanted to, given your immunity to the glamour and the call."

I let that information sink in, and realised that I was actually feeling better. I was glad I'd come up here to clear my mind; glad Eric had come to find me. Glad I'd sent Quinn on his way. Oh, hell - Quinn. "Quinn will be mad if he finds out I've been up here with you," I said worriedly.

"To hell with the tiger," he growled, and at that moment, I couldn't help but agree. "If he makes trouble for you over this, he will answer to me for it. You need to be comforted and reassured, not upbraided and scolded for something that was not your fault. And he does not have enough understanding of blood bonding to be able to do that for you."

I melted more than a little at that, and snuggled into his protective embrace.

"Pam is… otherwise occupied this evening," he said unexpectedly. "You could…"

"I'm not having sex with you," I snapped, feeling almost betrayed that he would suggest it, after all we'd talked about.

A flicker of hurt was quickly dismissed, and I realised it had come from him. "I wasn't suggesting that, Sookie," he said, his voice steady. I immediately felt ashamed of myself for assuming the wrong thing; I could tell that he was telling the truth, no doubt because I now had an insight into his feelings, thanks to the bond. "I only meant that, if you feel calmer close to me, you might sleep better if I were nearby. And with Pam not there, you will have some privacy."

I hesitated. "Promise me, no sex," I said, wavering. In all honesty, I wanted – needed – that comfort; I didn't want to go back to my hotel room, didn't want to face anyone else. I wanted to curl up in his arms and let him comfort me.

Cool lips brushed my forehead gently. "I promise. I will hold you, no more than that. You have my word."

I followed him to his room.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: And things begin to shift in Eric and Sookie's relationship... Thank you all for your reviews! :-)**

* * *

I was expecting to feel uncomfortable once we got to Eric's room, but the moment nerves took hold, he sent a wave of reassurance my way, and I calmed. He gave me a thoughtful look, taking in my jeans and blouse; and without saying anything else, went to the closet and pulled out one of his t-shirts, and shook it out, holding it up to me as if for size. He nodded. "Here; you can sleep in that."

I muttered an awkward "thank you," and scurried into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me, scolding myself for my nerves; we'd shared a bed before, and then we'd mostly both been naked (and having glorious sex). It all seemed so very different now, though. I took a few deep breaths and changed into the t-shirt; Eric was by no means a small man, and it came some way down my thighs. It smelt faintly of him, and the scent soothed my nerves even more.

Once I'd finished in the bathroom, I took a tentative step back into the room. Eric was standing by the desk, dressed just in sleep pants (for my benefit? Pam's? He didn't normally have a problem with nudity, after all), flipping idly through the room service brochure. I was surprised the vampire-friendly rooms had them, given that bottled blood could be kept in the minibar, until I realised it was most likely for people like me who were... visiting. I pushed that thought away; that wasn't why I was here tonight.

He didn't look up as I moved towards him, but asked, "What do you want for breakfast? I'll order it now."

I shook my head. "It's fine. I'll go down to breakfast as normal."

He looked up, then, and smiled. "What is it about seeing you in my clothes that makes me want to pick you up and cuddle and kiss you, you cute little thing?" I blinked in surprise. Whatever I'd thought his reaction might be to seeing me in his t-shirt, it wasn't that. Just so that I didn't think he'd gone completely soft on me, he added, "And fuck you senseless, of course, but that goes without saying. As for the breakfast… I don't want you to feel you have to go anywhere or do anything; if you want to stay here for the day, you're more than welcome. Order whatever you want from room service."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I guess I'll see how I feel when I wake up," I said, not wanting to commit myself to anything.

It seemed to appease him, though; he shrugged. "So long as you're comfortable." He flipped the brochure closed again, and sprawled on the bed closer to the door.

"Did Pam get first pick of the beds?" I asked curiously, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No, why?"

I shrugged. "Most people choose to be by the window."

He chuckled. "I choose to put myself between any potential danger and my child. Therefore, I take the bed nearer the door." I thought about that; clearly Eric was a good deal more protective by nature than I'd ever given him credit for – or a lot fonder of Pam. Maybe both. It didn't escape my notice that the space he'd left for me beside him was the side away from the door, too. He stretched his arm out to me, and made a beckoning movement with his head. "C'mere." It was gentle and reassuring, inviting rather than commanding, and I lay tentatively beside him on the big bed. He curled his arm round me, and ruffled my hair as I laid my head on his chest. He pulled the covers over us. "Better?"

I nodded, feeling all the tension seep out of my body, and moved closer to him, one arm slung across his waist. _I love you,_ I found myself thinking, to my astonishment. Did I? Did I really, or was it the bond? Something ached inside me, and I gave a soft whimper.

"Sh, it's okay," he murmured, as if to a child. He stroked my hair gently. "Go to sleep, lover. You'll feel better tomorrow."

I closed my eyes, concentrating on the gentle rhythm of his fingers through my hair. The ache in my heart eased a little as he kissed the top of my head, and murmured something in what I assumed was his native language. Then, to my surprise, he started humming a tune; I could feel the vibrations of it in his chest, and found it faintly soothing. "What is that?" I asked.

"Lullaby," he answered softly. "I used to sing it to my children, when they were tiny."

"You had children? You were married?"

"Mm. A long, long time ago." I felt a deep sense of sorrow and loss, and realised it was his. I blinked back a few tears on his behalf.

"Are there words to it?" I asked.

"You won't understand them," he warned.

"Doesn't matter."

He sang softly, in that ancient language, and though I didn't understand the words, I felt myself being lifted and rocked by them, comfort curling through my mind and heart. I lay silently in his arms for a while when the song finished. "What does it mean?" I murmured.

"It's about being rocked to sleep in a boat on the sea, with the god of the moon and the stars watching over you."

And there was that ache again, the one I didn't understand. I nestled closer.

"What is it, lover?" he asked softly. "I can sense your sorrow. What's wrong?"

I snuffled a little. "I don't know." Except that... I gulped; except that, right then, the ache in my heart was telling me that I really wanted to kiss him. To be with him as we had been, when he stayed with me. To be lovers again. The feeling deepened to anguish, and I sobbed, burrowing closer to him.

He eased me on top of him, so I was lying along his body, and wrapped his arms fully round me. "I can feel you struggling inside," he said softly. "What are you fighting? The bond? Your sadness? Me? Yourself?"

"All of the above, I think," I said with a trembling laugh. I brushed my tears away. I felt the pressure of his hand on the back of my head, bringing it into the crook of his neck, and arranged my arms either side of his chest. It wasn't hugely comfortable, but it meant we were close. Close was good.

"Let the bond through," he coaxed. "Let me send you comfort. Let me do this for you." He pressed gentle kisses into my hair. "Stop fighting it, lover," he murmured. "Stop fighting it."

I broke down and cried; and immediately a wave of warmth and love washed over me, around me, through me. I gasped for air; his arms tightened round me. "I've got you, lover," he murmured. "I've got you." And all of a sudden, I was calm again, melting into him. I gave a sigh of relief, and snuggled closer. "See? Better when you don't fight it," he said soothingly. "Just let go... let go..." he started humming again.

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I kissed him.

He allowed it for a few moments, then pulled back. "_That's_ what you were fighting?" he asked, astonished. "Of all the things you could have been fighting, it was _that, _you crazy woman?"

"Umm... yes?" I squeaked.

He laughed, clearly relieved that it wasn't anything so very terrible that was worrying me. "Normally, I'd tell you to have at it. But I made you a promise." He stroked my hair. "When I give my word, I keep it."

"You promised no sex," I said.

"I said I would do no more than hold you," he reminded me gently. "Something I'm now greatly regretting," he added, with a rueful smile.

"Would it be better if I went?" I asked hesitantly. I didn't really want to, but I didn't want to make this any harder for either of us than it already was.

"No," he said softly. "It would be easier, perhaps, but not better. No, stay with me, and I will show you that I keep my promises." He brushed his lips gently to my forehead, and held me close. "Besides, I think none of us share well," he said, as if to himself.

I felt a stab of guilt, thinking about Quinn. "No. True."

He was silent for a long while. "I'm no Svengali, Sookie. If you love the tiger, I won't stand in your way."

I gave him an uncertain look. His face was calm, but I could sense his tension through the bond. "I... appreciate you letting make my own choices," I told him.

He gave an abrupt nod. "Whatever your decision, I will uphold it." _However little I like it, however I might wish it changed, however much I might wish to keep you by my side forever, hold you in my arms, love you as you deserve._

My eyes widened; it wasn't the first time I'd had a glimpse of the workings of a vampire's mind, though this was very different from anything I'd heard before. I realised that every time it had happened had been after ingesting vampire blood; I stored that away for future reference. "Quinn... earlier, he asked me if I'd dance with him or with you at the ball."

He looked surprised. "It's a ball, Sookie."

"So?"

"It's common to dance with different partners. I certainly hope you'll dance with me; I know how well you dance. But why shouldn't you dance with him as well?" He raised an eyebrow. "Unless he was talking about some _other _kind of dancing."

I giggled suddenly. "You wouldn't mind if I danced with him, then?"

"Dancing or _dancing?_" he teased, and I laughed; suddenly the remaining tension between us was gone, and I relaxed back onto the bed, barely touching him.

"I'll save a dance for you," I promised, trying not to let my laughter show in my voice, even though he could feel it through the bond.

He groaned. "Sookie, I never had you pegged for such a cruel tease."

I looked across at him with an innocent smile. "Do you want to... _dance_... with me?"

The intensity of his eyes, voice, and the feelings coming through the bond made me shiver. "I want to do a lot more than _dance_ with you, my lover." At my gasp, he held my eyes. "You want more than that, too." I shivered; oh, yes, I really did.

Quinn. I should be thinking about Quinn, not lusting after Eric - hard to do when we were half-naked in bed together and flirting. To be fair, it would be pretty hard to do anything _but_ lust after Eric when you were half-naked in bed and flirting with him. I reminded myself that it was probably a bad idea to tease a very horny vampire who had a thing for me - _especially _given that I was currently _dating someone else. _So, of course, I went ahead and did it. "Maybe more than one dance, then? Maybe... dinner and dancing?" Yes, I just teased a horny, half-naked vampire who has a thing for me by offering him blood and lots of sex. Crazy doesn't even begin to cover that one.

There was a low growl; I looked up to see that he'd angled his head away from me; his fangs were extended. Yup, teasing a horny vampire? Bad idea. He gave me a wild-eyed look, and sank his fangs into the pillow, his body jerking slightly. Eventually he calmed down; I could feel the tension releasing from his body. "Gods, things you do to me," he gasped. "Twice in one night, and this time barely even touching you and not tasting your blood."

I blushed, grasping his meaning; realising what the bond had just allowed me to feel. "Oh..."

"I suppose I'd better get changed _again,_" he said, and his eyes twinkled with mischief. "Excuse me a moment."

No, of course he didn't grab a clean pair of sleep pants and head for the bathroom. This was Eric. He stood up, and with his back to me, simply dropped his sleep pants to the floor, giving me a ringside view of his spectacular ass. I whimpered, a wave of lust hitting me like a tsunami. He flexed, stretched, bent to pick the sleep pants off the floor. I whimpered some more, and he tossed me a grin over his shoulder, and very slowly, sensually, pulled a fresh pair of sleep pants on, leaving me a hormonal mess in the middle of his bed.

Payback's a bitch.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The end of the line for this story. Apologies to those who wanted more! Jfozz: in answer to your question, I'm an insomniac, and I also eat as I write ;-)**

* * *

I'd done pretty well, all things considered. I managed to fall asleep eventually, snuggled in Eric's arms, and slept long into the day, given that the room was light-tight. I showered carefully before leaving its confines, not wanting anyone (well, okay, Quinn) to smell Eric on me, and jump to the wrong conclusions. I managed to do a pretty good job of avoiding everyone for most of the rest of the day, and even got back to my own room without bumping into anyone, and sighed with relief. I gave Amelia a quick call, late afternoon; she commiserated with me on the bond, but agreed that it was way better that I was bonded to Eric, who I already knew and had been willingly involved with, than Andre. "I guess," she'd said, "if you were bonded to Andre, Eric couldn't really have interfered much – by which I mean, he couldn't have protected you if things went south."

I shuddered at the thought. A lamb to the slaughter – I wouldn't have stood a chance. Not that I was happy about the bond – I still wasn't – but Ame did have a good point. And it seemed Eric did have a protective streak that I figured was entirely missing from Andre, to whom I was simply a useful asset; he probably wouldn't have come to die with me, if necessary, when I was holding a bomb. As he'd shown last night, Eric – for all he could be ruthless, egocentric, and manipulative – genuinely cared about me.

I was just returning to my room after an early dinner when my luck ran out, and I bumped into Quinn. "Babe, where have you been? I've been looking for you all over!" He frowned, and sniffed; I guess even showering hadn't completely erased Eric's sent. "You've been with Eric," he said flatly.

I sighed. "Not like that, no. I couldn't sleep after you left, and went up to the roof-garden for some fresh air and to try to clear my head. Eric found me up there, and we sat and talked for a while."

"You weren't in your room earlier."

I could see he was putting two and two together and making five. "Quinn, I needed to understand about the bond," I told him. "And honestly, Eric was the best person to talk to about that. We talked – yes, in his room – and _nothing else_. I fell asleep, and slept half the day away. When I woke I went back to my room and called Amelia, then went for dinner. That's it."

"You slept. In Eric's room. And nothing else. This is the same Eric we're talking about, right?" he asked tautly. I could tell he was coiled as tightly as a spring.

"Believe it or not, that's what happened," I told him steadily.

He grabbed hold of my arms. "Just what is it with you and Eric? Or is it vampires in general?" He was radiating sheer fury and hurt.

I tried to pull away. "Quinn, let go. That's unfair, and you know it." He didn't let go, and I started struggling. "Quinn, stop that, you're hurting me."

A sense of calm flooded over me as a pale hand shot out from behind me, and wrapped around Quinn's throat. "Let her go, c_at_." As Quinn dropped his hands, Eric's free arm wrapped around my waist, pulled me back out of Quinn's reach, and pushed me behind him. "Is that how you treat your women?" he spat with venom.

I sighed. "Look, I guess it's too much to hope that we can avoid a showdown of some sort, but can we at least take this out of the hotel corridor?"

"Excellent idea," growled Eric, flinging the nearest door open and hauling Quinn inside. I followed; luckily, it was an empty conference room. "What the hell was that about?"

Oh, boy, this was not going to be pretty. "Quinn didn't believe that you didn't… ah… take advantage of me last night," I explained. "Apparently, despite my shower earlier – _alone_," I said, with a glare at Quinn, "I still smell of you."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," he said with an eye-roll. "She was upset about the bond, she needed to talk, we talked. As, I'm assuming, she told you. You don't believe what _your girlfriend_ tells you? You've got more problems than I thought. You should know by now that she doesn't lie, and she's irritatingly loyal."

"Yeah, but who to?" Quinn snarled in response.

"To whoever she's currently dating," he answered with a shrug.

"Yeah, and right now, who is that?" he bristled.

I muttered under my breath about macho posturing, but neither took any notice of me. "Right now, Quinn, that's you," I said. "Though judging by what's just happened, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."

"Babe..."

Eric was frowning at the red marks on my arms where Quinn had grabbed me. He was clearly far from happy; I could sense his seething fury, and knew, without looking at him, that he'd dropped fang. Don't ask me how; I just knew. "Regardless of what you might believe, there's no excuse for _that_," he said, with a nod to my arms. Yup; there were the fangs.

"If you hadn't got involved, this would never have happened," he snapped back.

"If I hadn't got involved, Sookie would be bonded to Andre Paul, and things would be a hell of a lot worse," Eric replied furiously.

"Why you keep getting involved with vampires is beyond me," said Quinn, this time adressing me directly. "They've brought you nothing but trouble."

That wasn't entirely true, I thought, as I remembered those few, beautiful nights as Eric's lover. I sensed him soften slightly in response; perhaps he had an inkling of where my mind had gone. But Quinn had gone on talking, telling me how much better my life would be without vampires in it, how much he cared about me, how if it hadn't been for them, we could be happy, have a good life together... maybe even have children, if that was what I wanted.

I flinched inwardly, and saw the look on Eric's face; it was a low blow on Quinn's part, as he knew I liked children, probably wanted them some day, and Eric couldn't give me that. "We've got something good, Babe," he wound up. "Don't throw it away because of this bond shit. You and me, we can be happy, have a good life together. Don't let the bond confuse your real feelings."

Eric's mouth tightened into a grim line at that. I looked towards him, and he looked steadily back at me. "As I said, Sookie," he said evenly, "I won't stand in the way of your happiness."

For a moment, I felt hurt that he wouldn't say anything to convince me of his feelings. Then I remembered something Gran used to say, a long time ago. _If you love something, let it go free. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it doesn't, it was never yours to begin with. _I remembered, too, the words he'd thought last night, and understood what he was doing. I felt a wave of relief, and saw the pain in Eric's eyes, the desperate swallowing of words he wouldn't speak, for my sake, whatever it cost him. I felt his anguish through the bond, and it was more eloquent than anything he could have said. "Thank you," I breathed. He closed his eyes, and gave an abrupt nod.

"Come on, Babe, let's -"

"No."

"Babe?" Quinn asked, confused.

I took a deep breath, hoping against hope that I wasn't making the biggest mistake of my life. I was pretty sure I wasn't, but hey, a girl worries. "Quinn," I said gently, "this isn't about the bond. I'm glad we had the time we had together, but..." I steeled myself to say it. "I don't think we're right together. You don't trust me not to lie to you, and I can't trust you not to hurt me when you get mad."

"You're choosing _him_."

"_He_ has a name, and that's not what I said," I said firmly. "All I said was that, you and me – there is no 'you and me'. Not any longer."

"And how much longer before you jump into bed with _him_?" he snarled, ignoring my pointed comment about Eric's name.

I gritted my teeth. "What happens between me and _Eric_ is between me and _Eric_, Quinn."

He sighed, and I realised that he really did care for me. "Did I ever stand a chance?" he asked softly.

"Yes," I said honestly. "And you blew it."

I closed my eyes, and let a few tears fall as Quinn left the room quietly, a devastated look on his face.

Eric was silent for a few moments longer. "You okay?" he asked uncertainly.

I shrugged. "I'll mend."

He closed the distance between us, and wrapped his arms around me. "I wasn't talking about your arms, Sookie."

I gave a shaky laugh, and rested my head on his chest, my arms going round his waist. "Like I said, I'll mend. It was my decision, and I'm... grateful to you for you giving me the opportunity to take it, and make it on my own." For loving me enough to let me go, if it was what I wanted, I added mentally.

"Welcome."

To my surprise, he didn't immediately back me up against a wall, or drag me onto the big conference table; he just stood there, with his arms around me, comforting me. I wondered what he was up to, what he was waiting for; then it hit me. He was taking me at my word, that this was just the end of things between me and Quinn; it didn't mean I'd chosen him. He wasn't assuming anything, or taking it for granted.

That, or he was waiting for me to make the first move, to be sure that it was what I wanted, and wasn't because of the bond. Either way, he was quiet, still. "I can heal those bruises for you, if you want," he said suddenly, unexpectedly. It seemed very loud after the long silence between us.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I... don't want to be drinking any more of your blood right now," I said cautiously, worried that he might be upset.

He shook his head. "I just need to rub a little onto them. Here." He pierced his finger on a fang, and squeezed a little blood over the bruises, gently rubbing it in. "Good as new," he smiled, but there was still so much sadness in his eyes that I couldn't bear to look at him.

"Eric..." My heart ached, not knowing how to broach the subject without making things worse.

"I don't expect you to come running to me just because you're not with him any more," he said, his voice suspiciously gruff.

And suddenly, I knew how to fix this. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves, and swallowed. "What if I want to?" His eyes searched mine, and I could feel a sense of probing at the bond, as if he was trying to figure out if it really was what I wanted, if I really meant what I said. "Would you reject me?" I whispered.

"Never that, my lover," he murmured, gathering me closer, and bent to brush my lips with his own. "Never that."

I kissed him as I'd never kissed him before, whimpering softly at the feel of him hard against me, pouring everything into it, into the bond. I pulled back momentarily, and gazed up at him. And smiled. "You're mine."

"Works both ways, lover," he teased, and I could feel his lazy, languid smile go all the way through me, his joy as he realised I'd chosen him. I wondered if I'd overflow with the feelings that flooded through me, and realised just how much he'd been trying to hold back.

"Fine by me," I muttered, pulling him down for another kiss.

Yes; I could live with that.


End file.
